In One Universe
by Broken Twisted Lullabies
Summary: In one universe, Michael had been a good son, Lucifer had been the favourite, Raphael had been kind and Gabriel had cared too much. But things were a little different in the other universe. In the other one, Michael was the favourite, Lucifer had been wrongfully accused, Raphael too soft-hearted and Gabriel tricked. A lot of things can change between alternate worlds.


**Wow, look who ain't dead. For anyone wondering why the two-month radio silence (It might actually be longer...I'm not sure at this point...), it's cause IB is kicking my butt. Like I've had test after test and after doing pretty awful last semester, I decided to try and do better this semester (and trust folks, don't take it unless you're extremely serious about working a lot and stuff. IA's, EE's, exams and assignments ain't fun). Anywho, this was based off what a mutual on Tumblr posted in relation to the AU world Michael in season 13. After all, we see a bit of him, but never anything of the others so they were wondering what might've happened to them and despite having tons of stuff to do, I sat down and wrote this so yeah, enjoy.**

 **Keep in mind there are spoilers slightly for season 13 as well as the rest of the seasons and this is just my interpretation. You can have your own or whatever, it's cool!**

* * *

 _In one universe, Michael had been the_ good son.

He had been the eldest brother, the first who looked over each of the younger ones, always wanting to do the best for them. In one universe, Michael had fought the Darkness alongside his three younger brothers, beating her down and locking her away for good. In one universe, Michael had loved dearly Lucifer, always keeping an eye out for the Morning Star, ensure that no harm befell the younger. In one universe, Michael had done everything to be the good son, the good soldier and had stood before his Father, begging for another way. In one universe, Michael had sadly told Lucifer's fate, banishing his brother to the cage in hell to rot until the Apocalypse. In one universe, Michael had struggled to be the good son so hard, doing his best to bring back an absent Father, looking up to a deadbeat who didn't care.

He had trained his brothers and sisters to fight for the end of days, turning to Raphael for guidance when lost. In one universe Michael ad searched desperately for his little brother before turning distant, tired and confused, unsure if his mission was still worthwhile. In one universe, Michael and Lucifer had met in a cemetery in Kansas, each wearing a Winchester vessel that was each acquired in suspicious ways of trickery. In one universe, Michael had been willing to give up, to step back alongside his younger brother and make peace. But in one universe, he had clung still to the idea of being a good son and ended up in Hell alongside Lucifer.

In one universe, Michael had been a good older brother and general who ended up locked up, driven mad and forgotten by an uncaring Father.

 _In another universe, Michael had been God's favourite._

He had been shaped to be a weapon without emotions, without feelings. He had not cared about his brothers or sisters. In one universe, Michael and his brothers had fought the Darkness, beating her down and locking her away. And when told one must bear her Mark, Michael had taken it, the strongest of them all. In another universe, he and Lucifer had fought, Michael growing jealous of the attention God always gave the Morningstar. He allowed for the Mark to let his grace fester and rot and jealousy to rule him. In another universe, Michael knew being God's favourite wasn't enough because too many still loved Lucifer and being the eldest wasn't enough. He was viewed great, as the good son, but that hadn't been enough because to be the good son, to be the favourite, there had to be a bad son, a hated one. In another universe Michael knew to be the hero, he needed a villain and so that is what he did. In another universe, it was Michael who corrupted Adam and Eve, killed Abel and blamed it on Lucifer, vilifying the Morning Star.

He had sat in God's throne, his Father long gone by now and nodded to Gabriel, the younger brother whose mind he had poisoned, raised his blade and before the crowds in Heaven, banishing Lucifer to hell until judgment day. In another universe, Michael hadn't cared about petty things like free will or humans and killed any that got in the way of his throne. He had run Heaven like a tyrant, allowing the Heavens to fill with screams and run red with blood, never batting an eye as he walked past in gleaming armour, head held high. In another universe, Michael took over, and when judgment day happened, lied to the humans saying he was on their side before destroying everything, razing the earth without batting an eye. In another universe, Michael had been unstoppable, facing his brother on the battlefield, both bright graces blazing before destroying Lucifer without hesitation, killing the Morningstar and walking away the victor He had then turned and told Gabriel with a grin, arms open wide, "It's all yours, brother" before sitting back and watching the world burn. In another universe, the two remaining archangels had stood before the ruins of earth, bored and tired and ready to have some fun. In another universe, they had found some tablets, telling of a passage, a rip to elsewhere, to a new world to start over, to gain more power.

In another universe, Michael had become a sadistic, power-hungry God-like figure that destroyed everything in his path and just kept climbing, higher and higher to the top.

* * *

 _In one universe, Lucifer had been God's favourite son, His Morning Star._

He had been loved by God, loved by his older brother, had the younger ones - especially Gabriel - look up to him. In one universe when he fought the Darkness alongside his brothers, beating her down and locking them away, he had been the one God gave the mark to. In the beginning, Lucifer had resisted the Mark's cruel whispers, stayed strong. But even the strongest crumble, and so he had at the sight of the humans, the idea of bowing down and loving such weak creatures. In one universe, Lucifer had loved his brothers and Father so dearly, too much and couldn't obey what his Father commanded. So he had let the Mark corrupt him slowly, bit by bit in the obsession to prove humans were wicked, horrible creatures that didn't deserve the love of Heaven and its angels. In one universe, he had tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, creating the first sin, had caused Cain to turn and kill his brother, had thrown the world into chaos. In one universe, Lucifer stood before Michael in chains on his knees, bloody and beaten, awaiting his fate. He had watched as Michael said his sentence, listened to Gabriel's screams and sobs, the silence of the crowd of younger angels.

In one universe, he had been locked up in a cage in hell, imprisoned like a dangerous animal in the depths of hell by his Father's command, allowed only to escape when judgment day came. In one universe he had become even more bitter and cold like his grace at his treatment, and after being released hunted down his vessel ready to destroy the world, get the vengeance he deserved. In one universe, he had rose Death, controlled the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and killed without mercy to gain his vessel. He had killed the pagans to get his vessel and watched them slip out between his fingers once more due to his little brother he hadn't heard from for decades. In one universe, he had tried to convince Gabriel to once more join his side and when things had gone sour, ended up walking out alive while Gabriel lay dead, blade in his chest. In one universe, after months of trying, through cheap trickery ( _not that Michael was any better, of course_ ) had gotten his vessel, Sam Winchester. In one universe he and Michael had met face to face in a cemetery, blades raised, ready to fight despite Lucifer not wanting to kill his older brother. He, in one universe, had done his best to try and convince Michael to "walk off the chessboard", that they "were brothers" and this didn't have to end like this. And in one universe, he had ended up locked back in the pit because of Sam Winchester, Michael dragged down with him. In one universe, he had lashed out at Sam in the beginning because of anger in the cage before leaving him alone to his own personal hell, hiding in his corner of the cage for the rest of times. And continued to stay there until the Darkness escaped, until he could see through the cracks and begin to convince Sam he was useful once more, could help them.

In one universe, Lucifer convinced Cas to let him out by possessing his vessel, promising to help save the world and had, in wanting to help do so, ended up teaming up with his Father. In one universe, Lucifer had gotten the apology he had deserved from the parent who had abandoned him, had fought the Darkness a second time and ended up cast from Castiel's vessel. He had then ended elsewhere and as one thing happen and then the next, ended up creating a Nephilim. In one universe, Lucifer had, in trying to get his son, ended up locked in another universe (having killed both Castiel - again - and Crowley), only to have to deal with an alternate Michael and Mary Winchester. In another universe, he had learned Michael would destroy his world and in escaping, lost his grace in the process ending up practically mortal.

In one universe, the Devil had become powerless and wanted to help save the world from a greater evil.

 _In another universe, Lucifer hadn't been God's Favourite._

He had been second best, but that had been good enough for him. He had loved dearly his brothers, his father and always cared for the younger ones, regardless. In another universe, the archangels had fought the Darkness and after beating her down and locking her away, Michael had taken her as a Mark. And Lucifer, after knowing this, had done his best to look out for his older brother because no matter how strong he was, everyone needs a little extra help from their brothers from time to time. In another universe they began to fight as Michael grew colder and colder, scaring Lucifer who cared about him and saw how the Mark was changing him. He had begged for Raphael to side with him and Gabriel too, only to have them turn their backs on him. In another universe, Lucifer had been innocent, trying to protect all of Heaven and the angels from Michael's wrath only to face it worse of all after being caught begging Father for help.

In another universe, Lucifer had been framed for crimes he never committed, hurt and betrayed, bloody in shackles before all of heaven. Painted as a villain, cast down by the little brother whom he loved so dearly. He had screamed all the way down to the cage, left to rot while Michael destroyed their Paradise. In another universe he waited and waited for judgment day, knowing he would have to fight his brother, kill him because family wouldn't stop Michael, wouldn't change his cruel wicked older brother. In another universe when he had risen from Hell, he had gathered humans who wished to be protected in safe houses across the world, did his best to fix the chaos Michael and Gabriel left, but when the two met in the battlefield, he knew he was too late. In another universe, Lucifer had no vessel, no extra help, and no words that could stop his brother's tyranny. Instead, they fought and Michael with dark empty eyes, drove his flaming sword through Lucifer's chest, watching with glee as the Morning Star burst into light, dying at the hands of a monster.

In another universe, Lucifer hadn't lived as long, vilified so a madman could make himself appear a hero and died hated.

* * *

 _In one universe, Raphael had been kind, a healer._

They had been stern, not a jokester like Gabriel or a leader like Michael or a favourite like Lucifer, but that hadn't meant they weren't important. They had smiled and joined in laughter and games with their brothers, watched over the younger ones and patched up every injury that ever happened. Raphael had been there when they fought the Darkness, spent hours and hours later in the library scanning every book to seek if they could find a passage to calm their nerves that things would all go wrong. In one universe, Michael and Lucifer began to fight, day and night, and in the beginning, they, like Gabriel had hated it. But eventually, after decades of patching up their older brothers, grew tired and locked themself away, not caring anymore. They had seen Michael walk past away from Father's office with shoulders slumped, calling forth the crowds of Heaven to gather before the courtyard.

They had watched as Lucifer, bloody and beaten was on his knees before their brother, had held back a sobbing, hysterical Gabriel who screamed for their brother to be freed. In one universe, Raphael had watched Lucifer fall, Gabriel became shattered, watched Michael lock his heart away. In one universe, Raphael watched through the window of their room as Gabriel left Heaven for the last time, never to be seen again once things became just too much to deal, and they had seen the empty office of their Father, realizing the same thing Gabriel had: that God had given up on them and didn't care.

In one universe, Raphael had become cynical, tired and defeated as they watched Michael struggle to pick himself up from the mess left at their feet, stood as best as they could by their older brother's side as time passed. In one universe, Raphael watched as the Apocalypse happened, silently hoping that perhaps this could fix things, that this mess, this cry for help would reach their Parent's ears and bring Him home. They had also watched as the world below suffered the mistake of a foolish God, as two brothers created armies for a battle that would end in the death of one, and the other succumbing to the guilt of it. In another universe, Raphael watched as Lucifer and Michael fell in the cage due to Sam Winchester, locked away and leaving them all alone to rule Heaven and a group of confused, terrified angels. They tried to rebuild a Heaven that had no clue what to do, with no direction of their own because there was supposed to be a fight, a Paradise leftover, and their Father was supposed to return. Instead, they were all left in a limbo, an unsure state.

In one universe, Raphael had tried to restart the Apocalypse, hoping that this could bring the answers to burning questions the last archangel had, just a lost child thrust in the position of charge. In one universe, Raphael threatened Castiel, ready to, unfortunately, kill the one angel that would hopefully bring the Archangel answers. In one universe, rather than the cage being opened, the gates to Purgatory were and Castiel sucked up thousands of souls to defeat them, to try and be a hero by destroying the villain wanting to destroy the world. In one universe, Raphael was defeated, killed by a soldier, fearful one moment and gone the next.

In one universe, Raphael had just a tired healer wanting guidance, wanting things to be over and for a Father to return to lead them.

 _In another universe, Raphael was too soft-hearted._

They were unlike their brothers, not a weapon designed to do destruction or any of that sort. They had been raised by Lucifer, taught only to care about others and had reluctantly fought against the Darkness by their sides. In another universe, Raphael had witnessed Michael change with the Mark, listened to Lucifer's worried tones in their corner of their library as the Morning Star explained just how much further Michael fell. They had watched as eventually Michael and Lucifer began to fight, had shielded poor little Gabriel from the worst of it all. In another universe, both Gabriel and Raphael had been forced to pick a side and while Gabriel had picked a side, Raphael hadn't. They didn't want this fighting to happen anymore, wanted it to stop, and choosing sides wouldn't make things better, just worst. But no one had seen it like them and so their turned their back on their brothers and locked themselves away in their library.

In another universe, Raphael stood before the rest of Heaven, tears falling down their cheeks as they watched Gabriel stand before Lucifer, damning their brother to Hell, locking him away in a cage designed by God (thought Raphael had seen their Father's empty office room. It had been like that since the fighting first began and truthfully, Raphael had a feeling God had been gone a long time and made the right decision as they watched how everything began to crumble to pieces). Raphael had been the one to sob while Michael grinned, having vilified their older brother (and no, he had never been the villain. Raphael had always been there with Lucifer, watched Michael descend into insanity and the day before he fell, had warned them Heaven wasn't safe anymore), sending him to hell so that he could be the hero in this twisted story. In another universe, it had been Raphael - terrified after watching Gabriel make a cherub cry in fear and heard Michael's laughter over the screams of a brother - who had enough and fled in hopes of saving their hide because soon they'd turn on them like they had on Lucifer.

In another universe, Raphael had hidden out on earth, helping care for the humans thereby offering them advice, working at a small library in the middle of a desert that eventually grew to be large and grand. They provided knowledge to those lost, hoping this might be a way to stop the anarchy back in their home. In another universe, hundreds of years after they had left, Gabriel had been reported landing on earth, sending shockwaves through the ground, sending fear once more in Raphael's grace. They had fled, running and Gabriel chased after them like a hungry wolf to its prey, eventually catching them at their library, dressed in gleaming silver armor. In another universe, Gabriel attached them and Raphael, never the fighter had nothing much to protect themself from the savage-like messenger, who tore at their purple wings, grounding them. Raphael had watched as they were dragged out of the library by the wings, watched Gabriel level the library and set the manuscripts ablaze, leaving nothing but rubble and dust. Hundreds and hundreds of years worth of knowledge, writings and works gone, the remains being buried under the hot Egyptian sands. In another universe, Raphael was dragged home, kicking and clawing before being tossed at Michael's feet. They had lifted their head in horror at their surroundings, the fear in their siblings, the ruins left by Michael and Raphael. In another universe, Gabriel stood over them with his sword drawn, grinning and whispering, "goodbye traitor" before bringing down the sword to kill them, their grace imploding and burning their one beautiful violet wings. And, with a dying wish on their tongue, Raphael only hoped their Father could hear their antagonizing wail in pain as they burned alive before everything became nothing.

In another universe, Raphael's heart had been no match for the wickedness of their brothers, perishing at the hands of the true villains, known only in their final breath as a coward and traitor to all of Heaven when they had done nothing wrong.

* * *

 _In one universe, Gabriel had been_ good _._

He had been the youngest Archangel but loved by all. Raised by Lucifer and the baby of the four, he had been the center of their attention and once he had gotten older, focused constantly on the younger fledglings when having time between messages. He would tell the funniest jokes, make even the sternest smile and his joy was infectious. All of Heaven would smile when he passed by, the little ones would beg for piggyback rides from him, and no one could find a single thing to hate about kind, just, fun Gabriel. In one universe, he had been there when the Darkness roamed the world, swallowing everything in her path and had been on the one to blow the horn. He had watched as Lucifer took on the Mark, never thinking for a moment that things could go wrong. In one universe, Gabriel had loved his brothers too much, cared too much and so when they had begun to fight, it affected him much more than expected. It had torn him apart because he couldn't stop them, could shut out their screams and sounds of blades.

In one universe, after watching grimly them fight for years, putting on a mask as his family fell apart, was told to pick a side, Michael or Lucifer. And Gabriel, who loved both equally, couldn't do that. So he sought out his father, who in turn turned him away, not quite caring about the whole situation and then tried Raphael, who seemed tired and just done with everything (but while not explicitly stating a side, it was enough for Gabriel to know Raphael had chosen Michael). In one universe, he had watched as Lucifer turned on their Father's newest creation, bitter about the idea of loving such things. Gabriel had personally liked them, but there were times where he didn't like them because of what they did to his family. In one universe, he watched as Lucifer rebelled against their Father, caused the first sin, the first murder. He had seen Michael chained their brother in prison to await his fate and after receiving word had turned to him and asked for Gabriel to deliver the words.

"You are the Archangel of justice, of judgment," Michael had solemnly explained and Gabriel shook his head.

"I am also the Archangel of mercy." And no he had said, but that couldn't stop Michael.

In one universe, Michael banished their brother to hell, ripped Gabriel's grace out in doing so and leaving the young Messenger a sobbing mess in Raphael's tight grasp, unable to get Lucifer's screams and begging out of his head. In one universe, everything had eventually become too much, so he had decided to run. Far, far away he had run from Heaven, down to earth to get away from Heaven, his brothers because he had nothing left. Dad ditched, Lucifer was gone, and Michael and Raphael were distant. In one universe, he faked his death, creating a new persona for himself as the Norse Trickster god called Loki, hiding with the pagans and making a new family. A better family.

He served just desserts as Loki, knocking the high and mighty down a couple pegs, all without feeling any guilt or remorse. Hid behind sugary sweets and cruel jokes and tricks, trying to push the old Gabriel down as far as he could until nothing remained. In one universe, he bumped into two brothers, first as a janitor and faked his death, throwing them off his trail. Then a second time, this time throwing them through a never-ending loop of Tuesdays that only Sam would remember. But it wouldn't be until the tv land issue that all things good would end when for the first time ever, they had managed to trick the Trickster. In one universe, they had caught him in a ring of fire, called him a coward for running and forced him to stop, spot all his games and tricks and finally pick a side. In one universe he was at a hotel with the pagans and pulled out his blade to fight his older brother, allowing for the vessels to escape and save the world. In that universe, he had been stabbed by his brother and died (and perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't).

In one universe Gabriel had run like a coward but died a martyr.

 _However, in another universe, Gabriel had been tricked_

Now he hadn't been good, at least not fully. He had still cared too much for his siblings, but at the same time, not as much as the other Gabriel had. In another universe, Gabriel had helped fight the Darkness with the help of his brothers, looking the monster in her empty pit-like eyes, his horn ringing out through the air. He had been there when she was locked away, watched Michael receive the Mark containing her on his forearm, not flinching, only holding his head high. In another universe, Gabriel watched with concerned eyes as Michael began to change bit by bit, grace growing a little darker, a little too hot with anger and jealousy. He noticed the glares he gave Lucifer, and while shrugging them off at first, later understood it all when the fighting began between the two eldest Archangels. In another universe, Gabriel was stuck in the middle of two fighting brothers, told to pick a side. He had stood with Raphael next to him, confused at everything and not quite sure what to do. He didn't want to pick a side, unsure of who was right and who was wrong. Michael, he worried Gabriel and Lucifer, Lucifer was tough to understand at times.

And maybe Michael had seen the hesitance in him at the beginning which was why the viper strikes when the mouse least expected it.

In another universe, Michael accused Lucifer of betraying their Father, of harming the humans Gabriel kind of liked and bit by bit like a black widow spider creeping closer to its prey, Gabriel found himself doubting his older brother, seeing the Lucifer Michael painted, the villain, the wicked. Little by little, poisoned by his brother when all eyes turned to both Gabriel and Raphael asking for their stance, Gabriel knew he'd have to pick a side in this crazy chaos. And in another universe, Gabriel had chosen to side with Michael. He turned his back on his vilified brother to follow Michael's deadly words, falling far from the old self that he used to be. When it came to Lucifer's judgment, in another universe, Michael had approached him, saying how Lucifer was dangerous, threatening to destroy them all. He had chased away their Father and would plan to kill them all to get the power he wanted and Gabriel, so far already gone, only fell further from the light to Michael's darkness.

In another universe, it had been Gabriel who delivered God's judgment on Lucifer. He stood on top of the steps before the courtyard, glancing down at Lucifer, beaten, shackled, pathetic and bloody. He had shown no mercy, had no hesitance in his words as he damned Lucifer to hell, to a cage in the deepest darkest corner to rot. In another universe, Gabriel became a twisted echo of himself, grace dark and cold, mind cruel. He hardened his grace, locked away his bright smiles and laughter, and picked up his sword and battle armour.

In another universe, younger angels would flinch when he spoke, their once bright eyes now dull and cast to the ground when he passed them. He became a weapon, associated with pain, punishment, Michael's right-hand man. In another universe, Gabriel made angels kneel in fear, shaped his siblings into soldiers.

He had destroyed every smile and laugh, leaving behind stone-faced warriors and screams, because when the sunny Archangel was destroyed, so was everyone else. In another universe, it was Gabriel who searched the earth high and low for the coward, dragging him back by his dark violet wings. It was Gabriel who burned down his library, not caring for any humans that might perish from it. In another universe, Gabriel that had stood, looming over his older brother with wild dangerous eyes, announcing the fate of the coward for all of Heaven to hear. In another universe, it had been Gabriel who stabbed his brother, standing before the dead body with a gleaming silver blade in his hand, a manic grin stretched across his face.

 _In another universe, Gabriel had become feared, viewed as the judge, the jury, and the executioner._

* * *

In one universe, the world had hope as the vessels were born, the saviors to walk the earth and bring an end to the fighting.

In another universe, the world wept, ruined at the hands of the angels, no vessels to save them, to stop the destruction.

* * *

 **This was actually really interesting and fun to write. This weekend, maybe I'll get my stuff together and put something else up, ya know, clear out some old word files, who knows?**

 **Also highly unrelated but like you guys should definitely check out "Monster" from the Frozen Broadway cast album cause it's absolutely incredible and I listened to it on repeat while writing this. Like the whole cast album is great but that song specifically is fantastic!**

 **-Twist**


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